TV & Movies

These Minor Full House Characters Were Major To True Fans

Who could forget Nelson Burkhard?

by Courtney Lindley
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Originally Published: 
these minor 'Full House' characters are fan favorites
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If you were a child who grew up glued to your television set in the late '80s and '90s — which is another way to say you were a child in the late '80s and '90s — then Full House was on your radar. In fact, it was probably the program you looked forward to most. As a sitcom that revolved around the lives of a widower, his brother-in-law, his best friend, and three kids, you'd think the show wouldn't have been that widely successful. Jokes on you, because people loved (and still love, as evidenced by its reboot) Full House. Though the main bunch carried the show, there were some minor Full House characters that true fans can recall and still dream about decades later.

Perhaps Full House captivated such a wide audience because it featured so many contrasting personalities. We could all find someone who we related to or saw ourselves in. For me personally, that was Comet the dog. Whether or not you identified with any of the members inside that actual San Francisco Victorian home, there were enough outside characters to keep things interesting. The minor characters in Full House were really what kept it going for so long. (You can only create so many plots about a father and his three daughters.) Below are the minor characters from Full House fans grew to know (sort of) and love (definitely).

1. Walter (aka Duck Face)

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Poor Walter. Though his go-to visage might have been prescient, he wasn't very well liked by anyone. Especially by his love interest, Stephanie. Looking back, being teased by his classmates because of his resemblance to a duck was pretty brutal. As if the nickname wasn’t enough, they even made quacking noises around him and threw bread at him on occasion.

2. Teddy

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Before Tahj Mowry was the smart guy on Smart Guy, he was Teddy — Michelle's ride-or-die kindergarten homie. The Clyde to her Bonnie. The Sonny to her Cher. Though they thought about making it official once third grade rolled around, in the end Michelle and Teddy stuck to being friends — best friends, that is.

3. Aaron Bailey

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Speaking of classmates, remember the snarky Aaron Bailey? How could you not? He was sassy and the typical class bully. Despite his rude attitude, he somehow made it into Michelle’s friend group. It even came out eventually that he had a crush on her! Oh, elementary school drama.

4. Denise Frazer

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Denise took over the coveted role of "Michelle Tanner's BFF" after Teddy left. She was smart, dependable, and an all-around good friend for Michelle. Even when Teddy returned, she taught Michelle the valuable lesson that someone can have more than just one best friend. Also, Little Richard was her uncle. +10 points.

5. Gia Mahan

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Gia was the most controversial character on Full House. She smoked. She wore chokers. She had make-out parties. She was the girl you were afraid of, but secretly wanted to be around. Best friends with Stephanie, she dragged the Tanner sister on some naughty escapades. But in the end, she grew up to be a pretty normal all black-wearing soccer mom on Fuller House.

6. Nelson Burkhard

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The son of a rich man, Nelson was one of D.J.'s ex-boyfriends. He was definitely more into D.J. than D.J. was into him, which made things a little bit weird. They iconically got back together after they broke up, after which D.J. left him again. Check out that vest, though. Points for Nelson.

7. Viper

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Though his name remains intimidating as hell and his cobra arm tattoo didn’t help his case, Viper was a gentle sweetheart. Another boyfriend of D.J.’s, he played guitar in Jesse's band — Hot Daddy and the Monkey Puppets. A name that, looking back on it now, is kind of gross.

8. Duane

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Kimmy Gibbler's boyfriend was a dream. He was agreeable, didn't say much except for "whatever," and could quote Shakespeare. A man after my own heart. Oh, and who could forget that the two almost got married at the Create-Your-Own-Wedding Chapel? How romantic.

9. Ryan

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Ryan was definitely a jerk because he stood Stephanie up at a school dance. How dare you, Ryan? We will never forget what you've done. To be fair, he did apologize and offer to buy her pizza at the mall, which seemed pretty heartfelt.

10. Mr. Bear

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Mr. Bear was Stephanie's stuffed animal. He was dressed like a detective and, according to her, a "part of the family." Anyone who sees a stuffed bear that resembles this one out in the real world today will have instant pangs of nostalgia. Mr. Bear eventually seemed to disappear as Stephanie became a teen, but he remains in our hearts forever.

11. Rusty

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Rusty was Danny's girlfriend's son. He was a prankster and super rude. I'll never forget the harrowing scene where he gave Stephanie and D.J. gum that turned their teeth black. D.J. and Stephanie tried to get back at him by putting dog food in his root beer float — which felt a little harsh — but eventually it was Michelle that did him in by spraying him with a ton of whipped cream.

12. Stavros

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In a bizarre turn of events, John Stamos ended up playing Stavros, Jesse's cousin who just so happened to be a con-artist who tried to hit on Rebecca and made D.J. pay for his gross pizza. As you can imagine, Stavros didn't stay for very long. Eventually he was put back on a return flight to Greece, which honestly doesn’t sound like the worst thing in the world.

13. Comet

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To be fair, Comet shouldn't be listed as a minor character because his presence was so vital to the show. However, because he's not in as many scenes as say, Danny Tanner, he'll go on this list. The affable golden retriever was an ideal pet with a very good sense of direction. (See: that time he found his way back home in San Francisco.) He will never, ever go unremembered.

Honorable mentions: The Beach Boys, because they are The Beach Boys. And Steve Urkel, because he showed up one time in a brilliant crossover episode. Full House, you weird, beautiful show. Thank you for gifting us so many characters — minor and otherwise.

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